Ninja Gaiden II Review

By John Laster, on June 14th, 2008

Ninja Gaiden II ReviewIs it a Renter, Buyer or a Skipper?: We say A Buyer!

Dragon Ninja Ryu Hyabusa is once again forced to rise up and stop the evil powers that are intent on destroying the human race. Ryu fight will take him through multiple locations, as he attempts to restore order to the world and avenge the Hyabusa Clan.

Players immediately leap into the shoes of Ryu Hyabusa and will need quick reflexes and timing. Fast paced ninja action should accelerate any player’s heartbeats as they push through the folds of enemy hordes. Stylish combat and combo’s grace the screen creating a cinematic experience. The game presents an interesting twist on difficulty curves, as it presents a simple yet difficult combat system to master. Newcomers to the series will have a chance to try their luck at simpler difficulty while veterans will still be challenged at harder levels. The ability to choose from variance of weapons, scenic locations and multiple levels of difficulty should keep most players entertained beyond the first play through.

Continues with the tradition of the first title, but seems content to not rock the boat. There are very few drastic changes from the first.

What We Loved:· Distinct differences in feel between the various weapons.· Cut scenes are well done.· Levels of difficulty are well varied.· Strong gameplay· Outstanding controls· Impressive fight animations

What We Hated:· Difficulty Level may still be too challenging for more casual players.· Severe framerate dip during major fight scenes (only occurs a few times, but it is a devastating drop).· Some environments are a tad bland.· Story jumps around randomly and is just a loose connection for the levels.· Some boss fights do not have save points in close proximity before or after the battle.· Camera system can be terrible at times.

What Everyone Else IS Saying

Destructoid:80/100Fans of high-speed action titles can’t go wrong; in fact, they’d be foolish to look anywhere else for anything better this generation. It’s just disappointing that Ninja Gaiden II — which is said to be the last in the series — isn’t quite the flawless masterpiece I’d hoped for. But even if it doesn’t set a new bar, at least it stands as a fine example of excellent, highly stylized, fast-paced fun.

1-UP: 67/100When things click, it most certainly does: The Airship stage is easily the best slice of the entire game — a perfectly paced, adrenaline-packed adventure through an environment that simply works (even the camera behaves). But NG2’s an otherwise inconsistent package with almost as many frustrations as satisfactions. This is a game for Ninja Gaiden fans, who will play it on the toughest difficulties and upload their best playthrough videos online. For those purposes, it excels; for less devoted action-adventure fans, it’s more of a violent curiosity than something to get invested in.

TeamXboX:90/100With school finally out for summer and a boxed copy of Ninja Gaiden II in our trays, there’s no denying Team Ninja’s uncanny ability to make super-addictive action adventures. The way I see it, only a battlefield God stands in the way on Ryu for the throne’s position in the console slasher hierarchy.

John’s Verdict:For fans of fast paced action, Ninja Gaiden II will excite and enthrall. While the story is extremely lackluster, the title still seems just as sharp as the Dragon Blade itself. With tight knit controls and seamless fight animations it’s hard not to get lost in the moment staring at the screen. Team Ninja seems to have done it again, creating slightly easier, yet just as heart pounding title. If you’re looking for something for a rainy summer day, you could go much worse than Ninja Gaiden II.